What Choice is Right?
by minerva's-kitten
Summary: Summary: When it comes to choosing family or family; is there a right choice? Albus is forced to make one such choice when Grindelwald takes his post precious treasures.


_**A/n: I was reading some stories on here and though I'd try it. If I'm infringing on anyone...Sorry.  
Disclaimer: I own nothing  
Summary: When you have a choice between family and family...is there a right one? Albus has to make that choice when Grindelwald steals those which he treasures most. **_

_**What Choice is Right?**_

**Albus,**

**I'm sure by now you may have noticed that I have taken a few very precious items from you. I'm surprised by how easy I was able to obtain them; you're falling behind old man.**

**Anyway, if you want your items back you must come to the following address tonight at eleven. But I must caution you not to be the hero for if you do you will greatly loose what you prize most. **

** Sincerely,**

** Grindelwald**

It was this note that had been given to Deputy Headmaster Dumbledore just minutes after he was informed of his niece and sister's disappearances. It was also with a sense of foreboding that he now found himself walking up the stairs of a dilapidated mansion. The headmaster knocked on the door and was led into a large sitting room, where sat Grindalwald in a large armchair.

"Ah Professor, so good to see you. Won't you sit down," the wizard sneered as a straight back chair appeared from no where?

"Thank you Gellert, but I prefer to stand," Albus nodded.

"Yes well we'll get down to business then shall we? Now I have a question for you headmaster," Grindalwald quipped waving his wand.

"Alright," Albus nodded eyeing the man.

Albus knew he needed to buy his time till he could come up with a way to get his niece and sister out of here.

He was also listening intently for any hint of his sister and her child.

"Oh you don't think it will be that easy do you," the dark lord laughed, "On the contrary you must make a choice."

"To choose between my sister and her child," he asked anger rising all around him.

"Oh no…that would be cruel," Grindalwald sneered, "No on the contrary…I want you to choose between your family and your whore," he said as three battered and scared figures huddled together appeared in front of the Dark Lord.

The older of the three prisoners was Ariana Briggs, Albus' little sister. She was about sixty-seven with curly auburn hair and blue eyes.

The woman kneeling next to her was Albus' mistress, Minerva McGonagall. She was twenty-one years old with long ebony terraces and dark green eyes.

The young child cowering into their robes was Ariana's daughter, Elizabeth Briggs. She was five years-old with strawberry blonde curls and blue eyes.

It greatly pained Albus' heart to see the three women he cherished most in this world at the hands of a madman.

He wanted desperately to kill the insane man before him, but he knew that Gellert knew more about the Dark Arts than he would ever want to.

It pained him to do this, but he really had no choice. He looked longingly into Minerva's eyes and they silently agreed.

"I-I choose my family," he sighed.

"Very well then," Grindalwald nodded, "you can have your family after you watch your whore die! Die schmerzende Vernichtung!"

A green light shot from his wand and was headed straight for Minerva as a single tear streamed down her face. But just before the light hit her; Ariana jumped it in front of it. She gave an ear shattering scream and fell to the floor twitching with blood pouring out of her.

"You bastard," Albus screamed and the battle was on.

The two wizards flung curse after curse after hex at each other.

As time wore on the two men were both becoming very weak and tired, till one last shot was thrown and Gellert Grindalwald was dead.

Feeling both happy and sad, Albus walked out of the house carrying his dead sister.

Minerva walked slowly and silently behind her lover carrying the frightened child in her arms.

* * *

Early that morning as dawn was breaking over the world, the wizarding world celebrated a victory while the Dumbledore brothers mourned the loss of their sister. Aberforth, Albus, Minerva, and Elizabeth were all sitting around the fire in Albus' private quarters at Hogwarts.

"No offense Minerva, but I want to know why Ariana jumped in front of the curse for you," Aberforth replied, "I mean after all…well none of us knew about you two or your relationship."

"Aberforth," Albus scolded his brother.

"No, no Albus it's fine," Minerva sighed as young Elizabeth crawled on to her lap and buried her face in the witch's robes, "when we were locked in the cell together we talked. I told her of my relationship with Albus and she was very approving."

"But that doesn't explain why she gave up her life, or her daughter," Aberforth persisted.

"I know. I-I guess she felt Albus made the wrong choice," she sniffed.

"What do you mean?"

"He thought he had a choice of family or a lover, but…well Ariana was the only other one that knew he was choosing between two families. He was choosing between his sister and niece, or lover and child. I-I was coming to tell you when I was captured," she stammered her eyes filling with new tears, "Albus I-I'm pregnant."

Albus and Aberforth sat stunned for several minutes neither knowing what to do till Elizabeth yawned and said, "Mama I'm sleepy. Will you sing me to sleep?"

"Aye, my wi one I will," Minerva tearfully smiled and carried the child into Albus' room shutting the door behind her.

Minutes later the men could here a soft voice sing a Scottish lullaby.

"Did I hear that right," Aberforth asked?

"If you heard Liz call her mama you did," Albus replied staring at the closed door.

"Why didn't Minerva correct her," Aberforth asked?

"I don't know," Albus said shaking his head.

The two men sat in a very tense silence till Minerva came back out of the room. She sat back down next to Albus and waited for the inevitable.

Of course she didn't have to wait long. "Minerva...I-wh…"

"You want to know why she called me mama," Minerva said voicing the men's unanswered question.

"Well yeah," Aberforth admitted. "When Albus and Grindalwald were fighting, Ari-Ariana asked me to look after Elizabeth," she said her voice slightly cracking, "S-she told L-Liz tha-that I was her m-mama now."

"Oh Minerva, my darling Minerva," Albus cried pulling his love into a tight embrace.

The two lovers stayed that way for several minutes till Aberforth asked, "So are you going to marry her or what?"

"I think I'll marry her, that is if you'll have me Minerva," he said pulling a simple and elegant platinum ring with a single diamond in the center.

"Will you marry me," he asked?

"Oh yes," she cried pulling him into a passionate kiss.

* * *

**Eleven years and seven months later…….**

"Mama, Papa we're over here," called a beautiful sixteen year-old with blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair pulled into a messy bun.

"We're coming Lizzie," the Deputy Headmistress called from just a few feet away. "I swear she gets more like you everyday my dear," Albus chuckled.

The headmaster and his wife walked along in no hurry to catch up with the three children.

"Yes well she almost has to, what with the twins so like you and all," she chuckled wryly.

"Now, now Minerva I can not take sole credit for them," he lightly scolded, "Brighton and Briston do have your looks after all. To which I am very thankful."

"Yes but they do act so much like you. I'm quite astounded as to how they haven't been into more trouble," she sighed.

"That's because Elizabeth keeps an eye out for them as much as she can. She has your personality as much as anything," he nodded as they finally reached the children.

"Well have you two found your pets?" Albus asked the two boys standing next to Elizabeth.

They were both eleven years old; tall and of average size. Both had spiky black hair and dark green eyes.

"We did," the one closest to Minerva replied.

"We both decided to get cats," said the other. They then held up their cats for their parents to see.

Brighton, the one standing next to Minerva, had chosen a small brown kitten with a cream colored face.

Briston, the one closest to Elizabeth, had chosen a small white kitten with black spots.

"Oh they're absolutely adorable," Minerva exclaimed, "I hope you will take care of them."

"We will," they chorused and ran back to the Leaky Cauldron.

Minerva, Albus, and Elizabeth took their time; however, getting back to the bar and by the time they had the twins had already gone home.

"I think it was a good day don't you," Minerva asked her husband?

"Yes indeed," he nodded giving her a light kiss on the lips, "Life is good indeed."

_**Finite**_

* * *

_**May not be that good, but hey I like it!**_

Review please!!


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